U.S. and world news for May 31

Trump sentencing: Judge Juan Merchan has set July 11 at 10 a.m. as the date and time for sentencing Donald Trump after his conviction on 34 felonies. The unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts were returned by the jury that heard the Trump hush money case. The New York City Probation Department will be preparing a pre-sentencing report on Trump that will be submitted to the judge. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is expected to ask for some jail time while Trump’s attorneys are expected to ask for probation based on this being Trump’s first criminal conviction and his previous convictions being in civil cases. The maximum theoretical jail time would be four years on each of the 34 counts, with the penalties expected to be served concurrently rather than consecutively.

Trump Tower security: New York City police set up extra security around Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan this morning in preparation for a scheduled 11 a.m. news conference by Donald Trump following his conviction on 34 felony counts. Trump’s Republican political allies alleged that the trial was political and the judge and jury were corrupt. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the jury verdict is evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent. Johnson did not explain how falsifying business records and paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels constituted dissent.

Trump’s attorney: One of Donald Trump’s attorneys Todd Blanche told CNN last night that he believes in his soul that Trump is not guilty in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. He also said that he doesn’t believe that New York City was the proper place to try the case and Trump could receive a fair trial there. Blanche said that it was Trump who made the final decision not to take the stand and testify in his own defense. Blanche indicated that he had pointed out to Trump the risks of taking the stand and subjecting himself to cross-examination by prosecutors.

Yemen attacks: Houthi rebels in Yemen say that at least 16 people were killed and about four dozen wounded in airstrikes they say were carried out by the U.S. and the British. The Houthis said that a radio station and a number of private homes were hit. A British military spokesperson confirmed that airstrikes did take place. The Houthis alleged that the attack was in retaliation for Houthi support of Palestinians in Gaza.

Child labor: The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an action in federal court in Montgomery, Alabama, asking the court to prevent three Alabama companies, including a Hyundai U.S. assembly and manufacturing plant, from employing children illegally. The complaint also requests that the court require the three companies to surrender profits related to the use of oppressive child labor. In the complaint the Department of Labor named three companies as defendants: Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC; SMART Alabama LLC; and Best Practice Service LLC. The department alleges that between July 11, 2021, and Feb. 1, 2022, the companies willfully and repeatedly violated the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Court ethics: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has rejected the idea of meeting with members of the Senate to discuss the flags supporting the Jan. 6 insurrectionists that flew at houses owned by Justice Samuel Alito. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island wrote to Roberts asking for a meeting. Both are Democrats. They also wanted to discuss how Roberts is enforcing ethical standards at the court. Roberts said he is concerned about the separation of powers and would not meet with them.